Environmental Charter Schools Statement on the Repeal of DACA

We at Environmental Charter Schools understand the concern and fear felt by our families and communities regarding the Trump administration’s recent decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Environmental Charter Schools is deeply disappointed in this action, which places hundreds of thousands of immigrant students benefiting from our public education system in jeopardy. Many DACA recipients are attending, have graduated from, or are employed in California charter schools like ours.

Environmental Charter Schools reaffirms our commitment to providing all school-aged students access to an excellent education and the opportunities that education provides without regard to their immigration status or the immigration status of their parents. We believe that public education is a fundamental right that all young people are entitled to in our state and in our country, and any discontinuation of the DACA program puts at risk that fundamental right.

We are providing information to our students, families and individuals who are seeking immediate support. The following resources may be helpful to families facing immigration issues and anyone seeking additional information. If you are unable to access these sites, please come to our school offices and ask for assistance with these websites.

1. Your DACA and work authorization will remain valid until their expiration date. If you currently have DACA, it will remain in effect until the expiration date listed on your work permit (employment authorization document) and your DACA approval notice. If your work permit is lost or stolen before it expires, you will be able to get a replacement. In California, your employer does not have the right to ask you to produce proof of work authorization before the expiration date on your work permit that you provided when you last submitted proof of work authorization.

2. No new DACA applications will be accepted. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will only accept first-time DACA applications if they were filed on or before September 5, 2017. All initial DACA applications that are submitted after September 5, 2017 will be rejected.

3. DACA approvals and work permits that expire between September 5, 2017 and March 5, 2018 must be accepted for renewal by October 5, 2017. If you have a grant of DACA and a work permit that will expire between now and March 5, 2018, you must apply for a two-year renewal of your DACA by October 5, 2017. Unfortunately, people whose DACA expired before September 5, 2017, and did not submit a renewal application, will no longer be eligible for renewal. If you are eligible to renew under the above guidelines, you should do so immediately. Renewal applications must be accepted by USCIS, not just postmarked, by October 5, 2017 to ensure that your application is processed.

4. Advance Parole to travel abroad is no longer available for DACA recipients. As of September 5, 2017, DACA recipients will no longer be eligible to travel abroad through Advance Parole. Any pending applications for advance parole will not be processed and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will refund any associated fees.

5. Your Social Security Number is still valid. The Social Security Number (SSN) that you received through your DACA is valid for life, even once your work permit and grant of DACA expire. You can and should continue to use the SSN that you got under DACA as your SSN even after your work permit expires. You can use your SSN for education, banking, housing and other purposes. Your SSN contains a condition on it that requires a valid work permit to use if for employment purposes.

6. If possible, renew driver’s licenses and other identification cards while your DACA is valid. Eligibility and requirements for a driver’s license depend on the state in which you live. If you have not already done so, you can still apply for a driver’s license or state identification card if your DACA is valid and your DACA makes you eligible for a driver’s license or state-issued identification card in your state.

Environmental Charter Schools remains committed to protecting the educational rights of our students and honoring our community with mutual respect, dignity, trust and fairness, regardless of immigration status, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion, disability or sexual orientation. We continue to offer equity and access to an excellent education to ALL students.

DACA is a program established by President Barack Obama in 2012 that grants a form of temporary protection from deportation known as “deferred action” to undocumented immigrants who came to the United States before the age of 16, have resided here since 2007 and meet other requirements. The Trump administration’s announcement leaves Congress with a six-month window to possibly save the policy.